


Freedom hangs like heaven

by smaragdbird



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Angst, Cassian forgets Kay does not have the same rights and it's an issue, Established Relationship, Hopeful Ending, M/M, Pre-Rogue One, Robot Feels, Robot/Human Relationships, discussion of droid rights, systemic discrimination
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:22:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22535425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smaragdbird/pseuds/smaragdbird
Summary: When Kay prevents Cassian from sacrificing his life during a mission leading to multiple deaths, a furious Cassian demands to know why.The answer is much more complicated than any feelings Kay might have for Cassian.
Relationships: Cassian Andor/K-2SO
Comments: 12
Kudos: 43
Collections: Star Wars Rare Pairs Exchange 2019





	Freedom hangs like heaven

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lando](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lando/gifts).



> So I never got around to posting this on time because I got a job offer and moved countries on a tight schedule. It's also maybe a little more serious and angsty than expected, but I hope you'll like it :)

“Let me go, Kay!”

“No.” Cassian, for all his strength and flexibility, was no match against K-2SO if he really didn’t want him to leave. He could struggle against his grip all he wanted but he would be unable to break it.

Cassian let out a string of curse words in his mother tongue, some of which were so illogical and anatomically impossible in a different situation it would be laughable, and let himself go slack.

K-2SO suspected with a 99.9% probability that Cassian was trying to lure him into a false sense of security so he kept his grip strong. “If you go, you’ll die.”

“That’s the mission, Kay. I don’t have a choice.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I have orders. You know that, you’ve been at the briefing. Now let me go.”

“The briefing never specified your death was required and in fact losing an experienced asset such as you would leave Rebel Intelligence worse off even if your death accomplished the parameters of this mission.”

“I am not going to argue with you about this.”

“Yes, you will. Because I will not let go.”

Cassian tried to struggle again but found his grip as unrelenting as before. “You always knew my death was a possibility in this line of work.”

“A possibility, not a necessity”, K-2SO felt obliged to point out. Cassian was always a little too resigned to his own mortality, even by organic standards.

“Well, it’s become a necessity now.”

“No.”

“Dammit Kay, you’ll be fine. The Blue Shadow virus doesn’t attack droids. You’ll go back afterwards, just without me. But I can’t let these people die.”

“I’m not giving you that choice. And I’ve already sent the Quarantine signal.” The Empire would blockade the planet and shoot down any ship trying to leave. Maybe he and Cassian could’ve saved them but it was not worth it. Not to K-2SO.

Cassian stared at him. “Why?”

“Our mission was to contain the Blue Shadow virus. It is contained.”

“We could’ve saved them.”

“With a 63.3% probability, yes.” He let go of Cassian and watched him slump against the shuttle wall, defeated.

“Then why? This is not how we do things. One life isn’t worth more than an entire planet.”

“The human settlement on Quasar is no more than a hundred people”, K-2SO corrected him. “The local flora and fauna won’t be affected by the virus.”

“That’s not the point.” Some resolve seemed to return to Cassian. There was an 88% chance he was going to blame this on their relationship. “If you’re emotionally compromised, then – “

“No”, K-2SO interrupted him. “I am not compromised by our relationship. But I want to live, Cassian.”

“You would’ve”, Cassian frowned, clearly not understanding the situation correctly. “You’re a droid.”

“Exactly, I’m a droid. What do you think is going to happen to me if I return to the Rebellion without you?”

Cassian shrugged. “You’ll get a new partner.”

“I will. But first they’ll install the protocols that you’ve been declining to force upon since the beginning if they don’t outright memory-wipe me.” 

The look on Cassian’s face told him that he hadn’t thought about it that way. Cassian sometimes forgot that K-2SO was different from him, that their situation was not the same.

“Kay…” There was a 49% chance Cassian would deny these things would happen to K-2SO after his death, but instead he looked down, avoiding K-2SO’s photoreceptors. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.” It wasn’t. Cassian was not important enough to change the system. That he was treating K-2SO the same as he would anyone else already set him apart from any other organic K-2SO had ever met.

“I should’ve thought about it. I should’ve found a solution.” He sounded ashamed. Under most circumstances, K-2SO didn’t like it when Cassian was ashamed. It brought out his worst self-destructive impulses. Here and now he found it useful.

Slowly and telegraphing his motion to give K_2SO plenty of time to move away, Cassian took his hand and tangled their fingers together. “Don’t go back. If…when I die, don’t go back to the Rebellion. I don’t care if you have to loot my corpse for credits or sell this ship, just don’t go back.”

“it’s not that easy, Cassian.” He might make a living as an independent droid in the Outer Rim or even Wild Space but it was by no means a guarantee. Droids didn’t have rights anywhere in the galaxy. “Besides, I do believe in the Rebellion. I’ve had more freedom here than with the Empire.”

“Because of me.”

“Yes, but in the Empire even that wouldn’t have been possible.”

“We’re no better than the Republic, preaching about freedom while keeping slaves”, Cassian muttered, more to himself than K-2SO.

“You do realise that we’re working for the Alliance to Restore the Republic, right?”

“We’ll have to improve the new one if we don’t want it to collapse like the old one.” Cassian was right of course but even he seemed to notice that they had gotten a little off-topic if the shake of his head was any indication. “I…we’ll find a way”, he said, looking up at K-2SO with new-found resolve. “I won’t let anything happen to you if I can prevent it.”

“You can start by not dying.”

“That’s not going to be a long-term solution, Kay.”

“Perhaps not but it is the only solution we have for now. I will keep you alive, Cassian. If only in my own self-interest.”

Cassian didn’t reply, despite the sarcastic tone K-2SO had used for the last sentence. He had wanted to entice Cassian to fall back into their usual banter. Instead Cassian let go of his hand and wrapped his arms around K-2SO’s chassis and held on as tightly as he could.

It was a profoundly organic gesture but one K-2SO appreciated. He returned it, feeling Cassian press his head against him. It couldn’t be comfortable but K-2SO knew Cassian often found a little discomfort reassuring.

The probability was minimal but there was a non-zero chance that if they stayed alive long enough, there would be a day when he and Cassian would both be free.

He was willing to take those odds.


End file.
